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Mennonite school opens in McDowell
BY JAMES JACENICH • STAFF WRITER
 | | Willis Witmer is the first teacher of the Highland Christian School, which opened in McDowell's Stonewall Ruritan building this week. (Recorder photo by James Jacenich) |
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MONTEREY - Highland Christian School opened Monday in the Stonewall Ruritan Building in McDowell with one teacher and seven students.
The one-room school is sponsored by the Mennonite Church of McDowell and is primarily intended for the children of church members, said school board chairman Glenn Heatwole. Classroom space is rented from the Stonewall Ruritans.
"Our intent was for our own children (of church members) to go to school," said Heatwole. "We are interested in handing down our beliefs to our children. One way we can do that is in a school setting that is geared toward our own beliefs and practices. The curriculums enhance that, whether it is English, social studies or math. The behavior of the children will be monitored by a Christian, born-again believer.
"It will be a Mennonite school, a private Christian day school patterned after other Mennonite schools in the country," he said.
 | | Students at the Highland Christian School in McDowell prepared for their first day of lessons Monday. Seven children from grades 3 through 10 comprised the first class of the school, established to serve the educational needs of the children of the McDowell Mennonite Church. |
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The course of study includes mathematics, English, Bible, biology, social studies, civics, world geography, and a foreign language (probably Spanish). Each school day begins with morning devotionals.
Heatwole received a diploma from a Christian day school, having attended one from grades 8-12. Heatwole moved from Elkton three years ago and purchased the Sugar Tree Country Store.
Teacher Willis Witmer, 21, came from Pulaski, Tenn. He is quiet, but friendly.
Small cubicles with equally small desks line two walls of the classroom, allowing students just enough room for individual attention and concentration. Witmer is able to see all the desks from his own at the front of the class.
Witmer received a week of teacher education at Christian Light Education in Harrisonburg, a provider of textbooks that its Web site says is "firmly rooted in God's Word," used by many private school and home-schooled children and the source for students' textbooks at Highland Christian School.
Witmer earned a high school diploma through Penn Foster distance education of Pennsylvania for grades 9-12.
"I was born in Grundy County, Tenn.," said Witmer. "It's a lot like this. I was raised in White County, Tenn., a few counties away."
Witmer moved into the apartment above the Sugar Tree Country Store on Monday, Aug. 21.
"I had been working in Free Union at the Faith Mission Home (for handicapped children) in voluntary service. One of my coworkers referred me," he said.
Witmer spent one year at Faith Mission Home. The home is under the joint leadership of Amish Mennonite Aid and Missions Interest Committee, which are Beachy Amish Mennonite non-profit organizations.
"We were contacting teacher possibilities," said Heatwole. "We contacted a teacher possibility over there (at Free Union), he turned us down. He gave us Willis' name as a suggestion."
Witmer is also a carpenter, specializing in residential buildings. He enjoys hunting, hiking and just about anything involving the outdoors, he said.
"It came about because of my belief in God's plan for me," said Witmer. "Teaching school had been on my mind for a while. I felt God was speaking to me. Now that I am here, I want to be here, and I should be here. I'm glad to be here in the community and look forward to being a part of it."
Witmer said the people of Highland are friendly and he likes the mountains. He is on salary under the Highland Christian School and has a one-year teaching commitment. He remains a member of the Good Spring Mennonite Church in Pulaski, Tenn.
"He is very committed as a school teacher," said pastor Steve Good of McDowell Mennonite Church.
Heatwole said Witmer is a good choice. "His testimony stood out. We sensed a man of dedication, determination and someone that was willing to learn. When you have someone willing to learn that wants to be a teacher, that goes a long way. He wants to learn more. He is not satisfied with his level of understanding.
"He is energetic, disciplined - all these things are very important, especially when (we are looking for a) role model for our children," said Heatwole. "He will be responsible for the training of our children."
The seven students (three boys and four girls) are spread out over grades 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 10. They receive their education through an individualized setting, said Heatwole.
"Students will be studying at their own pace, the teacher setting the goals," said Heatwole. "There will be some classroom (instruction) but most of it will be individualized.
Four of the students are not members of the church. The congregation has young families with young children that will reach school age next year and will probably attend the school, said Heatwole.
"We will have our own Highland Christian School diploma," he added.
Heatwole said the congregation plans to some day build a church and school on property it owns across from McDowell Gas-n-Go. The basement of the church will accommodate up to 30 students.
"Our goal is not to take students away from the public system. Our goal is to train and teach members' children," said Heatwole. "If we have others in the community that are interested, and they want to follow the guidelines for our school, then we would be willing to sit down with those parents."
To attend Christian Day School, parents or guardians of a child would have to complete a questionnaire, said Heatwole. "We have a number of things in a questionnaire, questions about beliefs and understanding of scripture." Heatwole asks those interested to contact him or school board members Steve Good or Dr. Dan Freed for more specific information.
Members support the school by donations; non-members are charged a tuition fee of $2,750 a year. Heatwole pointed out that often a member's extended family (grandparents, aunts, uncles) also donate to a member's children's education.
Heatwole said Highland County has turned out to be a good place for the Mennonite church to establish itself. "People here are hungry for the Word and there are a lot of spiritual-minded people," he said. "There are a lot of church-goers. We've been well accepted.
"We appreciate the privilege of being able to have our own Christian day school. We count it a privilege to teach our children, and that our government allows it that way," said Heatwole.
There are four Christian day schools in the Southeastern Mennonite Conference in addition to the school in McDowell. One in Harrisonburg has 140 students, but the others are smaller, having 7-15 students each.
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